First Run of Cornish Cross Meat Birds and Super Excited!

[nj2wv]

W

What r meat heads??

what my husband and I call our CX

 

[Turkeytruff]

Jessica the birds do look happy.

Have you figured out how to tell them apart? What are their names? Could we have a picture of each chicken with its name posted below it so we can know them better
too?






Here in Minnesota we call 8-10 degrees F a "warm spring day".



I have 2 Cochins!!! Pretty birds, but I was amazed when I lifted them how small they are under all those feathers.

oh boy broody time! haha they'll sort out your Creamette eggs for you!

Turkeytruff: Yes! Try that. Almost all of the videos that my dh has watched learning about growing fodder shows these kinds of systems in basements and such. Could be space but the key could be temperature. Maybe they don't even know it. I don't have a basement but we have an insulated garage with a great heater and air conditioner. It used to be my print shop until I needed more space.

The girls all go to the chicken tractor at dusk like they are supposed to. The first night we had to put everyone in but after that they did it on their own. A large group of them sleeps underneath the tractor on the ground too. I'm not sure if they are more comfortable that way or haven't actually figured it out. I suspect that after a week they should have figured it out.

Unfortunately, production is still down about 2 dozen eggs per day. That may not seem like a lot but it's a bit painful when every egg is already sold and we already didn't have enough eggs in the first place. But we will make it through. The girls just look better. Their combs are red again. Their eyes are brighter. Feet are looking better. Their crops are full. Even the yolks have darkened in color already. I don't know how they managed that in one week, but it's awesome!

Ralph: Nope, can't tell them apart to name them. I don't even know the exact number that is there!

Nice that they are safe under the supertractor! And yes, we are expecting a website next week with individual photos, names and interests of all these chickens ,"doing the bug jive, looking for a sensitive rooster with GSH, star signs....

I will definitely start some more sprouting grains - going to be next week, this week is crazy. MM I like your idea of lentils. Haven't done that before either although I did sprout mung beans, tried a spicy recipe from the internet which was not very nice and the next day the girls gobbled up the rest! I think the air in the barn may have been rather, ahem, flavourful that night....

Just hatched out another 9 beautiful BCMs and 4 sweet little MG chicks today. So happy they arrived, with my finicky old metal Brower hatcher.
Had a nice G&T at the bar and grill to celebrate!

 

[duluthralphie]

I must be slow this morning what's a BCM and MG?

I am hoping the Cochin go broody. I am going to let them have their own eggs and a few creamette eggs.

 

[holm25]

I must be slow this morning  what's a  BCM and MG?  

I am hoping the Cochin go broody.  I am going to let them have their own eggs and a few creamette eggs.

Black Copper Maran and ????. I dont know that one. I will tell u this if u let a Cochin keep eggs u WILL get a broody. I let my banties keep their eggs and that's how I learnt that.

 

[mountain mom]

Turkeytruff- They LOVE the lentils. Never tried mung beans. I tried oats once, it was a messy disaster.
This morning I gave them left over homemade refried beans... I am sure the coop will be highly flammable tonight.

I forgot to answer, and now I forgot who it was that asked, but I have posted Pearl egg pics before. They were the weird ones though. She had a few really odd ones at first. Every now and again she still lays a weird one.
I will try to take a pic today.

Yesterday morning when I went out to feed the meatballs (some of our last batch snored, not sure on this one) we had another death. Since it was right around 20 degrees that night, I am assuming it was smothered. I went out to lock them up and everyone was cramming their fat bodies under the heating pad (they had been sitting on top previously, only having gone under when they were really small). I think they were chilly.
The body was flattened. Sigh. I brought one in to get warm only to have another die.

That makes 2 from this batch. Last batch we didn't have any die. Oh well.

Ralph- I bet if you just leave some eggs out, the Cochins will go broody. Hope they hatch well for you!
I am guessing BCM- Black Copper Marans, MG- Mistral Gris
I know TT has Mistral Gris. Not sure on the Marans. If so... maybe some of those "regular grocery store eggs" will be coming home too...

 

[mountain mom]

Oh, and a big CONGRATULATIONS to you Raisinemright! I bet that felt great.

It is so nice to have other people notice when you do something well. Especially since so many others think we are insane over here slow growing and caring for our CX. Yay!!

 

[holm25]

MM how r your turkeys doing?? Have either of them started to strut yet?? Mine has and tries to bred both of the BBB. So I'm sure the BBW is a jake... Oh well

 

[duluthralphie]

MM how r your turkeys doing?? Have either of them started to strut yet?? Mine has and tries to bred both of the BBB. So I'm sure the BBW is a jake... Oh well

I think baby struts are so cute and fun to watch!

 

[holm25]

I think baby struts are so cute and fun to watch!

They really are! That act so tough then u pick them up and they just cheep away...

 

[JessicaThistle]

That's awesome raiseinemright!

I was also wondering what MG was Ralph.

Sorry folks but I am not going to start a dating site for my laying hens. Lol! I don't have the time or energy to manage something like that. It's already like a prison yard out there anyway.

I discovered that Sunny is laying eggs! She has been going into the nest and sitting for a super long time, then hopping out and doing her beep and honk egg song. I'd check in there and kept finding a small egg so thought it was a silkie egg. I found 3 of them yesterday with one being a little bigger than the eggs my two silkies lay. I think Sunny is turning into a silkie chicken! The biggest, roundest silkie chicken ever!

That turkey chick is too cute! I kinda want one or two of those but I still don't have a spot to move my 12 week old pullets to yet, so I really can't get more chicks. Woe is me!